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grav_itySpace travel, murder, politics, social control...basically Brave New World in a vacuum.
So...this book. SPOILERS, AHOY!
There were many scenes in this book I couldn't actually read. This is because I am slightly claustrophobic and I can't read about sexual/medical assault. So while the actual words were very well put together, there were parts I really struggled through, because they were freaking me out. Which is a good thing, really, but it means that this will not be a book I love and re-read a lot.
(This also makes it very difficult for me to rate this, because it's not fair of me to say "this was a terrible book because it triggered me". It certainly did, and the fallout was actually worse than the actual attack, but that is so personal that I can't really justify basing everyone else's recommendation on my own triggers. By which I mean: wow, this book upset me a lot and it might not upset you, but I don't want to talk about it.)
Aside from all of that, the book was a bit predictable. It was fairly clear from the outset that Orion was the missing Eldest, and that there was some kind of drug involved (though that was actually telegraphed better, to those of us who do not have an extensive sci-fi background, through Doc's fears of what would happen in Harley stopped taking his meds). It took me until actually seeing the picture to figure out why those bodies had been unplugged (and I remembered the scene where Amy and her father switched places, which turned out to be a red-herring anyway, but one I don't mind because it made sense). In fact, the only thing I guessed wrong was that I thought the ship was in orbit of Centurai and couldn't land, or something. I suppose that after reading "Glow", I was expecting something that was a bit riskier, something that made me...connect.
(And I have one small nitpick: identical twins do not have the same fingerprints, so I had always assumed that clones, who also share DNA, wouldn't either? Except it was a fairly major plot point? And then there was a big line at the end I was supposed to have FEELINGS about and I couldn't because IT WAS NAGGING ME. So...please fill me in: do clones have the same fingerprints?)
But leaving all of that, I really liked Amy. Her terror and desperation and sadness was just so REAL that it was hard to read sometimes, and I really enjoyed watching her react to the pieces of information she discovered. And even though I kind of wanted to punch Elder sometimes, his character journey was completely believable as well. Change is hard, after all, and since Amy and Elder are coming at this from opposite ends, it makes sense that their approach would be different.
I won't lie: I was kind of hoping Amy would Do The Math, realize that she was Eldest and take over the ship ("Instead of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Beautiful and Terrible etc."), but so far that has not happened.
I feel kind of the way I did at the end of Divergent. I didn't love this book as much as I thought I would, but I am looking forward to the continuing story. They can't all be barn burners, after all, and thank goodness, or I'd never sleep again. Instead, we have a solid book with a well thought out story line and very good characters, and so, so much potential for the rest of the series. It might be a while before I get to A Million Suns, but I'm excited to do so!
OH! And I almost forgot! There were funny nerd jokes! Like packing "The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy" when going on a 300 year long space flight. And poor Stargate being forgotten in the shadow of Star Trek and Star Wars. And others I won't spoil for you (including my favourite quotation from "Alice in Wonderland" that doesn't involve a walrus or a cabbage). :)
7 out of ten. It would have got 6, except there was a MAP OF THE SHIP, and you know how I feel about maps, and there is some potential left for the series. :)
So...this book. SPOILERS, AHOY!
There were many scenes in this book I couldn't actually read. This is because I am slightly claustrophobic and I can't read about sexual/medical assault. So while the actual words were very well put together, there were parts I really struggled through, because they were freaking me out. Which is a good thing, really, but it means that this will not be a book I love and re-read a lot.
(This also makes it very difficult for me to rate this, because it's not fair of me to say "this was a terrible book because it triggered me". It certainly did, and the fallout was actually worse than the actual attack, but that is so personal that I can't really justify basing everyone else's recommendation on my own triggers. By which I mean: wow, this book upset me a lot and it might not upset you, but I don't want to talk about it.)
Aside from all of that, the book was a bit predictable. It was fairly clear from the outset that Orion was the missing Eldest, and that there was some kind of drug involved (though that was actually telegraphed better, to those of us who do not have an extensive sci-fi background, through Doc's fears of what would happen in Harley stopped taking his meds). It took me until actually seeing the picture to figure out why those bodies had been unplugged (and I remembered the scene where Amy and her father switched places, which turned out to be a red-herring anyway, but one I don't mind because it made sense). In fact, the only thing I guessed wrong was that I thought the ship was in orbit of Centurai and couldn't land, or something. I suppose that after reading "Glow", I was expecting something that was a bit riskier, something that made me...connect.
(And I have one small nitpick: identical twins do not have the same fingerprints, so I had always assumed that clones, who also share DNA, wouldn't either? Except it was a fairly major plot point? And then there was a big line at the end I was supposed to have FEELINGS about and I couldn't because IT WAS NAGGING ME. So...please fill me in: do clones have the same fingerprints?)
But leaving all of that, I really liked Amy. Her terror and desperation and sadness was just so REAL that it was hard to read sometimes, and I really enjoyed watching her react to the pieces of information she discovered. And even though I kind of wanted to punch Elder sometimes, his character journey was completely believable as well. Change is hard, after all, and since Amy and Elder are coming at this from opposite ends, it makes sense that their approach would be different.
I won't lie: I was kind of hoping Amy would Do The Math, realize that she was Eldest and take over the ship ("Instead of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Beautiful and Terrible etc."), but so far that has not happened.
I feel kind of the way I did at the end of Divergent. I didn't love this book as much as I thought I would, but I am looking forward to the continuing story. They can't all be barn burners, after all, and thank goodness, or I'd never sleep again. Instead, we have a solid book with a well thought out story line and very good characters, and so, so much potential for the rest of the series. It might be a while before I get to A Million Suns, but I'm excited to do so!
OH! And I almost forgot! There were funny nerd jokes! Like packing "The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy" when going on a 300 year long space flight. And poor Stargate being forgotten in the shadow of Star Trek and Star Wars. And others I won't spoil for you (including my favourite quotation from "Alice in Wonderland" that doesn't involve a walrus or a cabbage). :)
7 out of ten. It would have got 6, except there was a MAP OF THE SHIP, and you know how I feel about maps, and there is some potential left for the series. :)
